An administration lawmaker slammed the Senate on Wednesday for continuously ascribing the congressional recess to stalling the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte when it could hold hearings during the same period.
House Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V argued that if the Senate could conduct hearings and motu proprio inquiries into other issues while Congress is on break, then it has no excuse to put the impeachment on the back burner, considering that it is a matter of national concern.
"If they have time for other issues, even during recess, why not focus on an issue that has a profound impact on our country?" the La Union solon stressed. “The Senate has the mandate as the impeachment court, and we expect them to fulfill it without hesitation.”
“Justice delayed is justice denied. An impeachment case that weighs heavily on our democracy must not be ignored," he added.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte during the last session day of Congress on 5 February, with 215 House lawmakers, or more than double the required 1/3 votes (102 signatories), voting to endorse the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
However, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero has repeatedly maintained that they will not push with the impeachment unless the 20th Congress takes over on 28 July or after 12 new senators are sworn in. The trial will subsequently start on 30 June.
Congress—the House and the Senate—is currently on a four-month break to pave the way for the mid-term election campaign. They will resume session on 2 June, after the 12 May polls, and convene as an impeachment court a day later.
Escudero, who has been trading barbs with the House prosecutors, has argued that holding a trial during recess “legally cannot be done” since the articles of impeachment were not referred to the plenary before they adjourned.
Additionally, he stressed that senators need flexible time windows in order to peruse the impeachment complaint.
Ortega, on the other hand, emphasized the need for a sense of urgency, asserting that the Senate should deal with the impeachment proceedings with the same interest and priority as other pressing issues rather than sidelining or delaying it.
“We in the House have done our part in ensuring due process is upheld. We trust that the Senate will fulfill its duty with the same diligence and impartiality when the time comes,” he stated.
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco disclosed Wednesday that the 11-member House prosecution team has to take a mock trial in preparation for Duterte’s impeachment proceeding in the Senate.
“There will be private prosecutors involved. We can also have former congressmen or former senators who are lawyers, that could help,” Velasco said partly in Filipino in an interview. “They need people with trial experience and good researchers.”
Meanwhile, Speaker Martin Romualdez expressed hope that the Senate will exercise its constitutional duty and proceed with the trial “without unnecessary delays, in accordance with the rule of law.”
The House chief also wished that the Senate would conduct “a fair trial based on facts and evidence.” Nonetheless, he said the House is already prepared to work closely with the Senate to ensure a “transparent and credible impeachment trial.”
The House outlined seven impeachable offenses against Duterte, including betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
The Senate will need a two-thirds vote or at least 16 of the 24 sitting senators to convict Duterte. If convicted, she will be perpetually disqualified from holding any public office in the future, including her alleged ambition to run for President in 2028.